The True Parrot Cichlid, Hoplarchus psittacus, is native to the black waters of South America. They prefer soft, acidic, and very clean water, and do not tend to do well if pristine conditions are not met.True Parrots have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to spawn, lending to their rare offering in the aquarium trade. Males and females are nearly indistinguishable, both as juveniles and as adults. Juvenile specimens have camouflage coloration with dark green splotches alternating with light bands. At about 3-4 inches the fish begins to change to adult coloration, solid iridescent green.These fish require large spaces, as they reach an adult size of 10 to 13 inches. Not less than a 55 gallon tank is recommended for juveniles. The tank should be decorated with plenty of wood and other cover as they tend to be timid. They can also be finicky eaters, but will benefit from a varied offering of foods like spirulina, krill, cichlid pellets, and frozen foods as well.
Filed under Freshwater Fish by on Nov 14th, 2009. Comment. 
Regal AngelfishThe Regal Angelfish can be distinguished by its alternating pattern of yellow and black-edged white strips. The juveniles of this species are similar in pattern but have a more orange than yellow color. There is no visible difference between the male and female Regal Angelfish. However, the Red Sea Regal Angelfish have a yellow breast, while the Indo-Pacific Regal Angelfish have a blue-ish grey breast. A tank with plenty of hiding spots and room to swim is recommended.
Filed under Saltwater Fish by on Jun 12th, 2009. Comment.
The Chevron Tang is also known as the Hawaiian Bristletooth Tang. Juveniles are strikingly bright orange with brilliant purple-blue scribbled markings. As the fish matures, the coloration becomes more subdued. The scribbled pattern transforms into thin, light-colored, horizontal lines and the body becomes dark orange-brown. Like other tangs, these fish are omnivores. They need plenty of algae and other greens in their diet to keep them healthy, but will also feed on small bits of meaty foods. Algae can be provided in the form of Spirulina, dried marine algae on clips as a frequent treat, or through live algae grown in the tank or in a refugium. Tangs are generally community fish and get along with most other tankmates. They do not bother corals and can actually help keep nuisance algae trimmed and under control. Tangs may get territorial and aggressive towards very similar tankmates or tangs from the same genus, so always use caution when keeping these fish together.
Filed under Saltwater Fish by on Aug 10th, 2008. Comment.
Setting up your first freshwater fish tank can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, it also can be challenging, especially if you start off with fish that are difficult to maintain. Luckily, there is not a shortage of hardy, inexpensive freshwater fish species. Finding good starter fish for your first aquarium is relatively easy.
If you’ve never had fish before, you may want to start with guppies.
Blue Cobra Guppy
These fish can sometimes be found as juveniles in feeder fish tanks, which means you can buy six to ten fish for as little as a dollar. Of course, they are quite boring to look at until they mature, but raising them is certainly a great way to get the experience you need.
Eclipse System 12 Aquarium
Some feeder guppies grow into lovely adult fish. Of course, if you don’t want to wait, you can simply buy adult guppies. Guppies are very social fish and get along well with others. They are easy to feed and care for. In fact, guppies are so hardy and laid back that it isn’t unusual for new fish owners to find that their fish have produced several dozen offspring.
If guppies aren’t quite your thing, you may want to consider tetras. Tetras do well in a small school. Most of these fish species are on the small side and aren’t very colorful to look at unless there are several of them darting about together. They are happiest in groups of six or more. These fish are good community fish and rarely act aggressive.
If you want a larger fish, the gourami is a good choice. These fish do best as pairs, since some males are aggressive towards other males. Gouramis are easy to care for and rarely act aggressively towards other species.
Most loaches are fairly easy to care for and get along well with other fish. With the exception of the yoyo loach, these fish enjoy having a buddy of the same species to hang out with. Loaches need a place to hang out during the day to stay happy, so be sure to provide a rock or pipe for your fish to hide in.
Lohachata Botia Loach
Barbs are extremely easy to keep, but not a good choice for tanks that also have fish with long fins, such as angelfish or guppies, since they tend to shred fins. Barbs do best in large groups, so you should keep at least four of these fish in your tank.
It seems like everyone wants to add an angelfish or two to their tanks. However, these fish can really be troublesome in the tank. They tend to be bullies and will eat smaller fish, such as tetras. At the same time, you will have to be sure that any fish that are too large for the angelfish to eat do not attack the angelfish and shred their fins. If you do decide that you want angelfish, you may be better off having a tank just for them. Angelfish are happiest in groups of two to four.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Jul 16th, 2008. Comment.
